Bookmark Message

Call to ground airport plan

OPPOSITION to the Tamil Nadu government's plan to construct a greenfield airport at Sriperumbudur near Chennai is growing.

On August 12, around 3,000 people from 26 villages were lathicharged when they staged a demonstration against the project. The reason: the airport plan requires about 1,821 hectares and protestors say most of it will be agricultural land and several small lakes.

According to the government, the current Chennai airport at Meenambakkam has reached its saturation point, traffic-wise. But A Ranga nathan, a retired pilot who works on aviation safety, contested the claim. Madhumita Dutta of Corporate Accou ntability Desk, an advocacy group in Chennai, suspects the new airport is being planned as a boost for the growing industrial area around Sriperumbudur. The International Civil Aviation Organisation, a UN agency, recommends a distance of 241 km between two international airports. "This criterion won't be met," said Ranganathan.

"If Sriperumbudur comes up, Meenambakkam will have to be closed as there will be four airports in a 24-km radius," he said. The two airforce bases at Tambaram and Arakonam are restricted airspaces, so corridor for take-off and landing of civil aircraft would be narrow, he said.

Move from news to views and get in-depth reports on issues that matter to you, every fortnight. Subscribe now »

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless.You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.

Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.

That's just plain stupid.

That's just plain stupid. New York has 3 airports within a 10 mile radius. All 3 of them (JFK, LGA, EWR) are larger than any of India's airports (each has 100+ gates). The 241 km rule is an arbitrary line in the sand that some jobless bureaucrat came up with. It's rationale needs to be questioned. My guess is that there is no rationale behind it.

Gud if the airport comes to Sriperumbudur coz industrial hub needs a quality airport near its vicinity.
All the opposition to the airport is politically motivated and there is no agricultural activity in those areas as told by the agitating group
so lets see a green field in Sriperumbudur sooner.

Let us have a 6 star rated World Class Airport at Sriperumbudur. We have hardly a world class building being constructed and this will spear head the image of our City. Keep the freaking politics our of this and let the clean hands build a green city....